A whole-food, plant-based, delicious, oil-free, colorful appetizer that is also chock full of antioxidants? And doesn’t even taste healthy? Here it is.
Cranberries, red onion, avocado and cilantro get tossed with a little honey and lime juice, salt and pepper, and served with whole-grain baked pita chips or any whole-grain cracker. You could also use corn chips if you’re gluten-free. Although I haven’t tried it, I think it would look and taste beautiful spilled over a block of Kite Hill cream cheese and served like a cheese ball.
Because cranberries are so tart, they are mostly used in juice. However, the whole cranberries have powerful health benefits that can’t seem to be extracted. “Scientists have been unable to pin down the active ingredients involved in cranberries’ special effects. Extracts concentrating individual components fail to match the anticancer effects of the cranberry as a whole, which of course can’t be patented. More proof that it’s nearly always best to give preference to whole foods.”
For some fascinating facts about cranberries, like how they can slow down cancer growth and prevent Alzheimers, you can read more from the Nutrition Facts article here.
I got this recipe from my friend Hillary, who kindly shared it with me and gave me permission to share it with you! It’s been a family favorite of hers for years, and she makes it every year as soon as cranberries hit the stores. It’s that season right now! Here’s to taking advantage of the charming cranberry in it’s seasonal glory!
Have extra cranberries? Pop them into some this Festive Holiday Apple Cider!
Festive, flavorful and nutritious cranberry salsa makes an execellent appetizer or snack to take to Thanksgiving or Christmas festivities.
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 4 TBSP honey or maple syrup
- 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 finely chopped jalepeno (optional)
- course salt and pepper to taste
- whole wheat pita bread or store-bought pita chips
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Cut all the cranberries into 4ths. This is the most time-consuming part....listen to some music or a podcast or something!
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Stir all ingredients together, and serve with pita chips.
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To make pita chips out of whole wheat pita bread, cut pita bread into 8 triangles, like a pie. Place on a cookie sheet, not overlapping. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip, and bake a little longer if your pita bread is thick and chips are still flexible.
You can also pop them into an air fryer for about 5 minutes. Check frequently, as they burn quickly!
You can find my Homemade Pita bread recipe here.
Oooh, this looks divine. Cranberries always looked gross to me because all I’d seen was cranberry sauce in a can. Then I made cranberry sauce from scratch with real cranberries, and it was a game changer. I love them now.
SO yummy! I was a little hesitant about the cranberries, but they added such a good, unique twist! Such a good way to get more cranberries in without all the sugar! Thank you for sharing!!!
Yes this has been a family favorite for years and is now a tradition in my own little family to make every year the cranberries hit the shelves. I mean I can sit an eat a whole bowl so forewarning! But it’s all good stuff so there’s no shame. And don’t let the taw cranberries scare you off. I’ve made this for so many people and they can’t believe how yummy it is! Thanks for sharing, Faith!
Thank YOU for sharing your family recipe with us! I love how beautiful AND delicious it is!